A domain name is key to your business looking professional, being found on search engines and being recognisable. It also needs to be memorable and easy to search by keyword. For example, a car dealership would most likely want the words ‘motor’ or ‘car’ in their domain name.
Most businesses or individuals will also want a domain name that includes their actual name in the title, but what if you are launching a new business and want a domain name to get people talking? Is it worth the investment and how much does a domain name cost?
Valuation
Last year, the domain name Voice.com was sold for $30 million, which was one of the most expensive domain name sales ever recorded.
A basic domain name cost anywhere from £1 upwards for a limited time period, which is usually 12 months. If a domain name has already been bought, finding out how much it cost the owner originally is not always possible, as they may have opted to keep this information private.
Trading
Buying and selling domain names is big business, with some people buying up names and selling them on for a small and sometimes very large fortune! Anyone with a business who is looking to launch a website and buy domain name registrations can visit websites such as https://www.names.co.uk/domain-names and choose to browse and buy domain name options to suit their brand. Be prepared to be flexible as you may not always be able to get the exact name you want, but if you do have your heart set on a particular domain name, be prepared to pay!
Apparently the most expensive domain name ever was cars.com which sold for $872 million – an amount the owners of the business clearly thought was worth paying. Some of the other domain names costing eye-watering amounts include CarInsurance.com at $49.7 million, PrivateJet.com at $30.18 million, Internet.com at $18 million. Hotels.com went for $11 million and Beer.com for $7 million.
It is quite easy to find out how much a domain name is worth as many site builder websites offer a domain valuation tool. For anyone interested in the buying and selling of domain names, there are website auction sites which can help.
Whether you are looking for a domain name for your business, or looking to invest in domain names for resale, invest wisely!